


Brazil does not compare to West Ham

by AnxiousWithoutAPoint



Category: The Society (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe, American Sign Language, Fluff, M/M, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Sam has a secret, alternate universe doesn't happen, becca and sam become bffs, becca learns sign language, becca ships it, bit of angst, campbell is still garbage, cassandra is still alive, clark and gwen fight a lot, closeted Grizz, english class buddies, everything is happier, grizz also learns some sign language, grizz can dance, grizz does also not like gwen, grizz is an english lit gay, gwen likes sam, jason clark and luke ship it, poetic grizz, prom happens, rich kid sam, sam does not like gwen, sam isn't allie and cassandra's cousin, switching POV, the jocks are good friends and accept grizz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-06-27 11:37:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19790086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnxiousWithoutAPoint/pseuds/AnxiousWithoutAPoint
Summary: {Loosely based on the song 'Brazil' by Declan McKenna- basically I was inspired by it and it's good so go listen to it}Sam Eliot has it all bar two things- his hearing and a love life. Unfortunately, these are two things that his Father's massive fortune cannot buy. A relationship is especially difficult since the paparazzi are everywhere. Almost everywhere.Grizz Visser lives in the small town of West Ham, a poetic jock who is incredibly worried about outing himself. And when the mysterious new kid, Sam Eliot comes to reside in his town, the worry gets a whole lot bigger.





	1. Whispers

Sam groaned as his watch vibrated quite frantically, signaling it was 7:15 a.m.  
_“Who the fuck gets up at this time?”_ He thought, stretching his arms above his head and collapsing them at his sides. Gradually, he made his way to the closet and sifted through the clothes all hanging up.  
His father had instructed him to wear a suit, the night before, but he chose to ignore it and instead opted for a simple white shirt and brown jacket. Although he had no clue where he was going.

~~~

Grizz entered the halls of West Ham High School, with an air of leisure, sauntering to his locker. There, he realized that everyone was huddled in groups, whispers being passed around the circles.  
_“I heard he lives down by the river, y’know, the massive houses with like 10 toilets or somethin’.”_  
 _“Apparently he has 6 CARS. Imagine being that rich.”_  
 _“He’s, like, really hot.”_  
The few sentences of the group he was listening in to suddenly stopped and he realized he’d been staring at them for some time now. Promptly, he spun on his heel and walked the other way, catching himself in a headlock given by Clark.  
_“Hey hey hey, big fella, whatcha doing?”_  
Grizz laughed and shrugged it off, slapping him on the back as a greeting. He turned to Luke, who was walking just behind with Jason, discussing sports and all the homework Luke had done and Jason had not.  
_“Hey, do you know who everyone’s talking about?”_  
 _“Your guess is as good as mine.”_ Luke responded, squeezing Grizz’s shoulder as he walked beside him, _“We’ll probably find out soon enough.”_

~~~

Sam stepped out into the early morning sunlight that was spread along the vast expanse of grass, bordered with small white flowers. Bushes, cut into very ornate shapes, shadowed some of the pavement running alongside the grass and this is where Sam’s Father’s prized possession sat in all its crimson glory. It was Pininfarina Sergio, a make of car that was highly expensive but which rich prick didn’t have an expensive car? Sam walked towards the garage, pulling the glossy white door upwards and walking into it. He cringed at the size of the garage, knowing a family somewhere could easily call this a house. He walked over to his Father’s less expensive (but still way above most people’s price range) car and unlocked it with the keypad on the side.  
Unaware of the footsteps thumping behind him, he was very suddenly slammed into the car as his brother signed, _“Move it, fucktard.”_ before scrambling into the passenger seat. Sam sighed and opened the door to slide in the back of the car. He very quickly signed, _“Fuck you, Campbell.”_ before grabbing his phone from his jeans’ pocket and unlocking it.  
_“2 more years.”_ He thinks as he listens to the quiet.


	2. Observation

From what he could count, Grizz could see that every class in their year group had made it down to the hall. His friends all called it the BFFF (the Big Fake Fancy Fuckery). It had caught on in 8th Grade and soon, everybody called it that, excluding the teachers and Cassandra. It was a moderately large room with light oak panels covering the floor and cream paint clawing its way down the sloping walls. Above the bleachers that were decorated to match the floor and walls, there hung chandeliers, which if Grizz was to guess, he would say it was an attempt to make the school look elegant. It failed spectacularly. Especially when paired with the door and window ledges, a sorrowful grey paint chipping away at them. It was all in all quite ugly but at least it wasn’t boring.

Grizz made his way to the benches at the front, dropping beside Luke who was talking to Helena.  
Grizz had always liked Helena, she had this aura of kindness and her hair was always fragranced with some kind of peach and mango fusion.  
She was in front of Luke, standing up, ready to make the morning announcements. Grizz seemed to be one of the last people so, after everyone had settled down and Grizz had told her about Luke’s drunken love song from the night before, she leaned down to peck Luke on the cheek and stepped up to the podium.  
_“Just to remind everyone, the votes for Prom King and Queen will be collected this Friday so make sure to get them in. As usual, there will be Taco Tuesday tomorrow and Cassandra is thinking of trying out a School Council so if you think you might be interested, please use the signup sheet which will be posted just outside of the Cafeteria. For my final announcement, the Principal has asked me to give a warm welcome to Campbell and Sam Eliot.”_

~~~

Sam sat at the back of the hall. Most people just ignored him and he was perfectly okay with that. He sat back and typed out a couple of things he observed, into his notes, so he wouldn’t get bored. The quiet girl with the wavy, blonde hair chewing her nails. She wore a striped jumper, baggy around her body and her dark eyebrows were knitted into a frown as she fiddled with the star on the necklace she wore. The girl standing up with the shiny, dark hair, grinning at the guy in front of her and smoothing down her plaid skirt. And the guy sitting to the left of them with the green hoodie and the topknot of messy, dark hair. His lips were pursed in thought as he leaned back and looked over his shoulder. For a brief moment, Sam caught his eye but then he finished skimming the crowds and turned back to his friends, all cloned in the same varsity jacket. Sam was definitely curious about him.  
Sam was so deep in thought he didn’t realize a person was sitting next to him until he was tapped on the shoulder.  
_“Hi-”_ This was all he caught before the girl started talking too fast for him to understand. He quickly nudged her.  
_“Slow down.”_ he croaked out, signing along with it. It was as if something clicked in her mind and her face changed, an apologetic smile forming on her face.  
_“Sorry, I was saying I’m Becca. What’s your name?”_  
Becca mouthed the words slowly, improvising some motions to get him to understand better.  
When she was finished, she tucked her long hair behind her ear and stared at him expectantly.  
_“I’m Sam. What are you doing with your phone?”_ He asked, pointing at it as she laughed and tilted the phone so he could see.  
_“I’m recording people. What about you?”_  
 _“Making notes. Observations.”_  
He also tilted his phone as she read over the notes, silently reading the words out.  
_“I can tell you who they are if you like,”_ Becca said, motioning to the phone in his hand.  
He nodded, already looking down as her lips.  
_“The first one is Allie, she’s a good person but doesn’t really let people get close to her. Her older sister, Cassandra, kind of puts her in the shadows.”_  
Sam gives a sympathetic smile and Becca returns one as she glances down at Allie, now talking to another blonde girl, her hair neatly wound into a bun with several books in her hand. Sam guesses this is Cassandra.  
_“The second is Helena. Really popular but also really caring. See that cross necklace around her neck? Devoted Christian. She’s probably going to be Prom Queen, and her boyfriend Luke, Prom King.”_  
_“What about the last one?”_ Sam whispers, eager to know about the boy who’s currently laughing at something Helena said.  
_“Oh, that’s Grizz. He plays soccer, really good at it actually, but he’s incredibly smart. He reads poems and old books. You don’t know how many girls want to get with him. Not my type, personally, but I can see it.”_  
Sam was just about to ask more about Grizz, like which books and which girls but Becca quickly turned to face the front, poking Sam in the ribs as she did so. He squinted at the Helena, realizing she was speaking and tried to read her lips. She got to the end and gestured up at where he sat. He realized he had been daydreaming and now he had no fucking clue what was happening but everyone was staring at him. And where the fuck even was Campbell?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Sam's POV is a little before but around the same time as Grizz's. I hope I didn't confuse you]
> 
> Okay so I was actually away on a trip with some of my friends so I didn't have time to do stuff but now I'm back and I think this chapter may be slightly longer but I've also given up on doing long chapters because I'm really not good at that stuff so I'm just going to give you a bunch of small chapters. 
> 
> I know no one cares but Campbell was in the toilets doing drugs or something like that. 
> 
> Also, I love Jack Mulhern so much and the fact that he has a jumper with a bear on- my heart literally exploded when I saw the picture on Instagram.


	3. Speech

Grizz could only see one of the newbies and he looked terrified. He swiveled in his seat to look at Becca, only for her to mouth something at him, her eyes filled with urgency. Everyone was watching this small charade as he slowly turned around, a deepening pink present on his nose and cheeks, covering his freckles, and waved.  
_“Hi,”_ he spoke into the deafening silence. Grizz could see his hands moving quickly in his lap, forming several shapes at a pace.  
Grizz could only grin at how awkward it was. And then the dude caught his eye. It happened before but this time, it was longer and Grizz’s heart pounded a little quicker.  
_‘Shit. Nonono. Not now.’_ He thought, watching the guy trying to regain his composure.  
The new kid broke eye contact and Grizz’s smile faded as he realized just what this meant. He barely acknowledged his friends as the conversations went back to normal, most people filing out to get to lessons.  
_“That one is Sam.”_  
 _“How do you know?”_  
 _“I saw Campbell in the washrooms smoking a joint. He introduced himself but I wasn’t sticking around to find out anything more….”_  
He was only snapped out of his trance-like state and realized he had missed about a minute of the conversation when Luke prodded him carefully. Grizz raised his eyebrow, silently communicating underneath the conversation the full group was having.  
_“That must be the dude everyone was talking about,”_ Luke whispered, tilting his body to get closer to Grizz’s ear.  
_“How do you know it’s not his brother?”_ Grizz replied, talking from the corner of his mouth.  
_“Because according to Shoe, Campbell isn’t much of a looker and Clark’s already complaining about Gwen giggling over Sam and his, and I quote, ‘gorgeous blue eyes and perfect hair’."_

Grizz didn’t know whether to agree and out himself or go with the Straight™ answer of _‘I like girls so I wouldn’t know’_ so he just gave a curt nod and hoped that’d be enough. Sure enough, it was and they both turned back to the conversation where everyone was listening to Clark and Gwen arguing about Sam Eliot. He agreed with Gwen- Sam was cute. Which was a massive fucking problem.

~~~ [The Next Day]

Sam had just found his locker and was putting a couple of books in when Becca arrived beside him.  
_“What do you have first period?”_ Becca sloppily signed, fingerspelling some of the words. Sam watched patiently and nodded along to reassure her.  
_“I have English with Miss Shores.”_  
_“Oh, same. I love English with her.”_ Becca copied the sign for ‘English’ and mouthed the rest of it. “Come on or we’ll be late for class.”  
She grabbed his arm and weaved through the crowds. Looking over her shoulder, she started talking again.  
_“Do you know you’re the talk of the school?”_  
Sam loosened his grip on Becca’s sweatshirt and pulled away so he could sign.  
_“I’d guessed.”_ He spoke the words as well, looking around him as small huddles stared at him. _“Where’d you learn sign language?”_  
_“Internet, duh.”_ A smile played on her lips as she said this. _“Don’t try to change the topic. Did you know you’re rivaling Grizz with the number of girls who want to date you?”_  
_“Yeah, the thing is...I’m gay.”_ Sam finished, hoping she would understand what he just said.  
_“I’m afraid we don’t get many gay guys here.”_  
_“You don’t get many gay guys anywhere.”_  
Becca laughed at that, tilting her head back slightly, as she turned the doorknob to what he presumed was the English Literature classroom.  
_“After you, my good Sir.”_  
_“Why, thank you, my good Lady,”_ Sam replied, spreading his palm against his chest in an act of appreciation as he glided through the door, keeping his nose upward in a snooty fashion.  
Sam sat down in only chair available, the one right in front of the Teacher’s desk.  
_‘Typical’_ He thought, rolling his eyes yet knowing he would never sit here unless forced to anyway.  
Fishing through his bag, he realized he’d forgotten his pen, having used it to write down Becca’s phone number and then forgetting it in the cafeteria. He sometimes made a list of things that Money Did Not Help since his father was so sure it fixed everything. He mentally added this situation to the list. Turning around, he motioned to Becca, slowly mouthing pen but she just shook her head, a mixture of sympathy and helplessness growing on her face.  
Just then, someone poked his arm and he turned to his right to see Grizz.  
_“I’ve got a spare pen if you want.”_  
Sam could tell he recognized that he was deaf as Grizz took his time with the words. And Sam realized that he did not mind staring at Grizz’s lips and when he finished, he didn’t mind looking into his eyes, the dark shade of green and he didn’t mind looking at his hair and thinking of touching it and oh fuck. Sam definitely did mind the fact that he was developing a crush. On a jock no less.  
_“Hello?”_ Sam realized he hadn’t replied as Grizz raised his hand slightly and waved gently in front of him.  
_“Yes, thank you.”_  
Grizz leaned down to get the pen and then handed it over, their hands briefly brushing. Sam forced himself to pull away like a normal person.  
_“So, uh you’re Sam, right?”_ Grizz seemed to be almost nervous as he spoke, the hand that had touched Sam’s, now tucking his hair behind his ear.  
_“Do I not look like a Campbell?”_ Sam spoke and Grizz carefully listened, processing what he was saying and then chuckled.  
_“No, uh one of my buddies has already met him. Plus, Gwen is going crazy over you and your eyes.”_  
 _“My eyes?”_  
 _“Yeah, they’re beautiful and blue.”_  
 _“Ok…”_  
 _“Her words, not mine”_ Grizz spoke hurriedly, his eyes wide, complemented by the rosy tint underneath where blushing had surfaced.  
_“She’s not my type.”_  
 _“Oh?”_  
 _“Oh.”_  
 _“Then what is-”_  
Grizz was interrupted by the circle of jocks who had just come in, each one ruffling his hair or teasing Grizz, enclosing him to his desk.  
Sam guessed that the bell had just gone because soon, the jocks went to sit down at the back of the classroom and the teacher started talking at the front. Surprisingly, Grizz was the only one sitting at the front out of his friends and even though he didn’t want to, Sam became so much more intrigued.

~~~

Grizz normally read the text in English Lit. At first, his friends had sniggered, curious as to why he cared so much about a subject but he never answered. That was his secret to keep. Plus, he was confident in his words and thought of himself as generally a good talker. Even his friends, after a couple of weeks of flicking wads of paper in every direction, started listening to what he said. And if it helped his friends get better grades, then they didn’t complain.  
But today was different because Sam was staring straight at his lips. He obviously knew why but it was such an intense focus. Most people leaned back in their chairs, staring at the clock and catching the odd sentence or two, enough to make a brief summary of the chapters they had read whereas Sam stared at his lips the whole time and Grizz found himself talking even slower just to make sure he understood. And every time there was a chapter pause when Miss Shores talked about what they had just read, he glanced over at Sam who was watching the whiteboard and reading the words on it, he couldn’t help but feel the butterflies. About the way his hair was styled perfectly into place. And how his freckles matched the color of his hair. And his eyes. He couldn’t even remember what Gwen had said about them. He was just speaking from his own mind’s wording. Oh boy, he was so incredibly fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh worm? Another chapter already? Jeez, it's almost as if I had literally nothing to do all day. I literally just slept off my jetlag and then ordered takeaway with some of my family. Interesting, right?
> 
> But actually, I may be getting a helix piercing tomorrow. If I don't chicken out of it. But I've wanted one for ages and tomorrow is a good time to do it so when I next post, I might just tell you how it went and if I got it.


	4. Secrets

No one here knew he was rich. Except for Campbell but he was part of it. It had been his mother’s idea to come here. Give her kids a normal upbringing so money wouldn’t inflate their egos. Much more for Campbell than him. In Sam’s opinion, money couldn’t solve the things he wanted the most, so what really was it worth? At first, his father had downright refused. He wanted his kids to have a wealthy upbringing and go onto achieve the things he did. But Sam argued his mother’s side. He hated being the one weird kid in school who always got fake friends. And Campbell just wanted to be left alone with his pot without anyone interfering. So, they moved to a slightly smaller house around 3 miles outside of the small town and their father would drop them off at the bus stop and they’d take the bus like normal kids.  
Gossip spread but it only scratched the surface. Did they live in a massive house? Yes but so did Harry. Did they own 6 cars? There was no proof of that. And he didn’t even know where the whole toilet thing had come from.  
For once in his life, he was happy. Everyone treated him like a normal student. Maybe slightly richer than others but still ordinary. And Sam liked ordinary.

~~~

After school, Grizz had soccer practice. But he couldn’t concentrate. Every time the ball was passed to him, he either passed it to the opposition or just kicked it the wrong way entirely. So not like him.  
_“Hey, man, you okay?”_ Luke ran over, his cheeks flushed with the heat of the afternoon sun. He looked genuinely concerned on as he placed a hand on Grizz’s shoulder.  
_“Yeah, just a little out of it s’all.”_ He panted out, regaining his breath as he adjusted his topknot to stop more hair from falling out of it.  
_“Okay, just as long as everything’s alright, dude.”_ Luke gave his one last firm squeeze on his shoulder before running back to his position on the pitch.  
He couldn’t stop thinking about what Sam meant when he said: _“Not my type.”_  
Grizz knew for a fact Sam hadn’t met Gwen since she spent all her time swooning over him yet not actually talking to him.  
In the Cafeteria the next morning, Gwen was still talking about Sam. Everyone had pretty much accepted that Clark and Gwen weren’t really together but they were still seen as a couple even so. This time, Gwen had started focusing in on his freckles and how they looked like a constellation.  
Grizz, on the other hand, was subtly rolling his eyes as he pretended to listen to Luke whine about how he couldn’t get his throw just right. Now and then, he would throw a nod or a grunt into Luke’s rant whilst tuning out Gwen, deepening his thought process.  
How could he possibly ask Sam what he meant?  
_“Hey man, I don’t know what you meant by ‘Not my type’, care to explain?”_  
 _“Is it the hair? Or the eyes maybe? Why isn’t Gwen your type?”_  
 _“What exactly is your type because I would like to be it.”_

 _“So Grizz.”_  
 _“Huh?”_  
He realized he’d been staring into space for a while and now the conversation had changed and he totally missed it. Now, several pairs of eyes were staring at him intently, urging him to make a statement in reply to Gwen’s question. If only he knew what that was.  
 _“I said, you sit next to him in English, right?”_  
 _“Who?”_  
 _“Sam Eliot. Who else?”_  
 _“Um, yeah I do.”_  
 _“Well?”_  
 _“Well, what?”_  
 _“What’s he like? I saw you speaking to him.”_ Gwen seemed exasperated that he didn’t understand what she meant and Grizz, for once, was getting kind of irritated.  
_“He borrowed my pen, nothing more to say.”_  
 _“That would take a minute maximum. You were talking for about five.”_  
 _“Jesus, Gwen, I was just saying hi. What more do you want from me?”_  
 _“Well, we have English today. Maybe he’ll ask to borrow my pen.”_ And with that, she winked and walked towards the grubby doors of the Cafeteria, a certain slyness in each step.  
From beside him, Grizz could hear Clark groan into his arms as he slumped further and further into his chair.

~~~

Sam was on library duty. Becca had initially done it with him but had gone to get her lunch. He could guess that, by now, she would be curled up in a corner, tucked beneath a bookshelf in the ‘H-N’ section, reading some kind of Murder Mystery. He had already caught her like that twice beforehand. Sam finished photocopying some pages for his English class and scanned some labels. Satisfied with his work, he debated on going to sit with Becca. There were fifteen minutes left of lunch but it was rare that anyone needed assistance now. So, after hastily examining the bench, he ambled to the stacks of books where he was sure Becca was. His suspicions were correct and he promptly settled down next to her on the orange bean bag that was supposed to match the walls but just looked hideous.  
Becca didn’t look up from her book but she made sure Sam was looking at her and could see her lips before she made her statement.  
_“I’ve got a question.”_  
 _“Shoot.”_  
 _“You saw anyone you like so far?”_  
 _“Like?”_  
 _“Y’know like ‘Wanna snog them because they’re hot’ like”_  
 _“Maybe...why?”_  
Becca’s eyes flicked up from her book, a feel of curiosity within them.  
_“Well firstly because prom is coming up soon and you could go with them. And secondly, I am amazing at dictating everyone else’s love life except my own. And thirdly, honestly? This book is kind of boring.”_  
Sam laughed as Becca slid the book away from her and leaned on Sam’s shoulder, a tricky task since both orange bean bags were distancing them. Becca shuffled closer, swinging her arms around Sam.  
_“Tell me his name.”_  
 _“Grizz.”_  
 _“Good choice. Hot but not a dick. Plus, I heard that once in seventh grade-”_  
 _“Do I want to hear this?”_  
 _“Reflecting on it, no, you probably do not.”_  
 _“So what’s your advice, O Grand Love Master.”_  
 _“You know what, I might use that title actually. My advice is to just talk to him although I can’t say for sure if it will work out. You’re the only person I know around here who’s gay. Still, who knows?”_  
 _“Yeah it probably won’t but he said my eyes were pretty so-”_  
 _“Wait, he said what?”_  
 _“You can stop looking at me like that. He was quoting a friend. Gwen, I think.”_  
 _“Oh. Her.”_  
 _“I take it you don’t like her?”_ Sam had changed positions now, leaning back against the many rows and columns of books, one hand behind his head, the other signing. Becca was mirroring his pose but instead had her two hands in her lap, sometimes raising them when she could sign a word.  
_“She’s annoying as hell and rumor has it, she likes you. A lot.”_  
 _“Yeah, well, as I said to Grizz, not my type.”_  
 _“Wait, when was this?”_  
 _“English when he started talking about my eyes. Come on, we’ve got five minutes so we should probably get out of here.”_  
Carefully, they picked their way through abandoned stacks of books and more bean bags, some decorated with sagging cushions which resembled a faded red in color. Past their mini obstacle course, Sam lightly shoved Becca’s shoulder with his own before turning to face her.  
_“You know, your sign language is getting better.”_  
 _“Really?”_ Becca grabbed his forearms, squeezing them with the same level of excitement that glistened in her eyes  
_“Yeah.”_ he signed, knowing she would understand.  
Becca nodded, beaming at him. If this is what ordinary was like, he never wanted his father’s money ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo everyone who's left a comment or kudos, they literally make my day. Tysm :) but also idk why but Gwen liking Sam seems to be a big part for some reason. I didn't mean for it to be. I'm still trying to decide where the angst is going to come in because this story has to have some kind of trouble. Oh well. Hopefully, I'll see you soon, bye for now :)))) 
> 
> p.s Please keep leaving kudos and comments. I love each of them so much like wow it is truly amazing


	5. Poems

After lunch, Grizz had English. It had always been his favorite lesson but sitting next to Sam just made it that little bit better. At the end of the previous lesson, they were asked to bring in their favorite piece of poetry. His friends, as usual, found an arbitrary, recognizable piece on their phones and scribbled it down on pieces of paper the school supplied in the homerooms. Grizz had penned down ‘Kosmos’ by Walt Whitman. He liked how raw the writing was and the vulnerability that encased it all. And maybe he did resonate with the pieces he created and liked to believe in the rumor he was gay. In his own way, this was a hinted coming out. Admittedly, minuscule but it was there all the same.  
That afternoon, they read their poems out. Luke chose ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling, stumbling over his words as he looked over his shoulder at Helena- Grizz guessed that she picked it. Jason chose ‘The Raven’ by Edgar Allan Poe and Clark chose ‘Oh the places you’ll go’ by Dr. Suess, soaking up the laughter that ensued. Since they’d worked from the back to the front, a trick Miss Shores used so the jocks wouldn’t copy everyone else, Grizz had a while before he went. In that time, he did what he did best. Overthinking.  
_‘Oh God, what if they realize this is my mini coming out?’_  
 _‘What do I say if they figure it out?’_  
 _‘What if Luke is forced to choose a side- Grizz or everyone else?’_  
 _‘Fuck what is everyone knows?’_  
A hand on his own disturbed his thoughts and he realized he was breathing quite erratically, the cool hand contrasting the clamminess protruding from his.  
_“You okay?”_ Sam was whispering to him, his back almost shielding them from other people’s vision. He knew why. Because Sam was touching his fucking hand. Oddly, it didn’t make him panic more but soothed him. Sam’s hand was smaller than his but was soft and gentle. True, it was colder as well but it still had a warmth in kindness, the very same that radiated off of Sam. A look of apprehension was clear on his face but was soon replaced when Grizz offered him a weak smile. In return, he smiled back and let go of his hand.  
Time seemed to speed up after that, Sam glancing in his direction every so often, probably checking he was okay, but Grizz felt hundreds of butterflies rising in his chest.  
Soon, it was his turn and he stood up and read it out in what he hoped was a confident voice. He prayed his eyes wouldn’t wander towards Sam because Grizz knew he would start blushing and then lose his place and again, so not like him. What the fuck had Sam Eliot done to him?  
Then, it was Sam’s turn. Instead of reading it out, he stepped up to the front and started writing it out on the whiteboard, reading from a small yellow note which had been neatly folded into his pocket beforehand. His handwriting was quite small and loopy yet there was a neat structure to it and was easily readable. Grizz recognized it from the first line; it was _‘I’m nobody! Who are you?’_ by Emily Dickinson.  
After he was sure everyone had read it, he rubbed it off and sat back down.  
_“Hey, why did you choose it?”_ Grizz didn’t realize he’d started talking or even processed getting Sam’s attention but there he was, facing him. The classroom had fizzled into conversation anyway, curious energy throughout it.  
_“Choose what?”_ Sam smiled at him, his head tilted to the side. He raised an eyebrow, questioning him further.  
_“The poem. It was quite...I don’t know, bittersweet?”_ Grizz worried his bottom lip with his teeth, his eyes fixated on Sam, hoping he understood.  
_“I guess it was a metaphor.”_ Sam shrugged, sighing as he continued, _“Society doesn’t see me as the ‘Frog’, I guess because I’m deaf as well as being gay.”_  
Grizz nodded, hoping he did not convey the fact that his insides were doing the macarena, not to mention the butterflies that had tripled in numbers.  
He could feel his brain screaming, ‘HE’S GAY LOOK YOU HAVE A CHANCE JESUS CHRIST HE COULD LIKE YOU’ and begged for it to stop. Sam was still looking at him, maybe waiting for some kind of witty reply or smooth statement. Instead, Grizz could only sweep his eyes around the classroom and nod, looking anywhere but at Sam. The moment he did, Sam would look into his eyes with such an extreme focus that it was an underestimation to say he was staring into his soul.  
_“What about your poem? Did it mean anything?”_  
Grizz wanted to tell Sam how he first read it in 10th grade and how he resonated with the poem so much. He wants to tell him how he remembers going into a second-hand bookshop and finding a copy of ‘Leaves of Grass’, spine cracked and the pages yellowed with age. Some of the pages had coffee stains or scribbled words in the margin but that just made it look more rustic. He sat on his bed for hours and memorized every page. He wanted to tell him how he took it everywhere and show him the copy at that very moment, tucked away at the bottom of his school bag. But he didn’t.  
_“Thought it was pretty cool, the wording and everything.”_ Fuck, he sounded like a stereotypical jock.  
Sam nodded, his eyebrows sliding into a frown but before he could counteract, the bell rang and he knew Sam could see that the bell had gone by everyone rushing to get out the door behind Grizz.  
_“See you next English lesson.”_ Grizz quickly grabbed his bag and winced at how nervous he sounded, pacing to get out the door.  
Behind him, he could only hear Becca say, _“You should ask him-”_ before he was out of earshot. But by God, he knew how he would finish that sentence.

~~~

 _“I am not asking him to Prom.”_  
 _“Oh come on, why not?”_  
 _“Hmm, let’s see. Maybe because he’s straight and even if he’s not, then clearly it means he’s repressed as hell.”_  
Becca and Sam were walking to History. Sam had acknowledged that Grizz was also in his History class but he had run out. Either something had freaked him out or he was just incredibly excited about History. Sam guessed it was the whole gay thing- the look on Grizz’s face when Sam had said that. It was a wild mixture of wistfulness, astonishment, and elation. It also looked like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. His nose was twitching, not that he realized, but Sam found it incredibly cute and it made him fall even harder.  
_‘Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, shut up brain.’_  
 _“You okay there?”_ Becca signed it fully, tugging him to the side just as a crowd of girls strutted past them, leaving a waft of strawberries and peaches behind them.  
_“Yeah just thinking.”_ Sam signed back, glad that he could have a conversation in sign language alone.  
_“About Grizz?”_ Becca hesitated on ‘Grizz’, eventually fingerspelling it.  
Sam groaned as they walked into the History classroom and Becca could only grin as she watched Grizz brush his hair back from his face, revealing his blush. His lips were pulled taut and eyebrows raised as he attempted to look anywhere but Sam. On the other hand, Sam was only looking at Grizz, a longing stare Becca knew he would deny if she brought it up. _‘God, these two idiots need to get together’_ she thought, as she took her seat beside Sam, mentally preparing herself for glances towards their table from both Grizz and Gwen for the next hour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You got a bit of Becca's POV at the end there. Also, I think I've figured out the ending so you're welcome. It will be an angsty mess and I hope I can pull it off. I'm trying to find ways for them to sort of flirt with each other without realizing while not making it seem cringey. The hand-on-hand thing may have been slightly too forward whoops. 
> 
> But as I've said before, I love getting kudos and comments.
> 
> ALSO, big news, I got my friend into The Society and now she's giving me updates on it and she loves grizzam (or gram whatever you want to say) and also thinks Campbell is pure garbage so yayyy. She hasn't seen the end yet so she's got that joy to endure :)


	6. Questions

Lunchtime the next day was more volunteering at the library. Becca was working the front desk and Sam was slotting books back into their places, nearly at the end of the ‘A-H’ section. Before he knew it, two hands were on his shoulders and his back collided with the shelf behind him, Becca’s alert and wild eyes hinting he shouldn’t try and leave.  
_“Grizz is here.”_ Sam could tell she was mouthing it rather than saying it. _“And he’s got a book.”_  
_“So?”_ Sam shrugged his shoulders, causing Becca to remove her hands and instead grab his wrist. From there, she dragged him past the aisles until they got to the center.  
Sam caught a glimpse of Grizz, fixated on a page of a compact, aged book. His eyes flicked down the page as his lips formed some of the letters he was reading. His hair was tied up in a topknot, some stray hairs framing his face. Leaning against the shelf, he picked up the corner of the page with his fingertips, about to turn over, but another tawny shelf blocked Sam’s view and he stumbled to catch up with Becca.  
_“He’s going to check it out and you are going to do it for him.”_ She signed most of it, jabbing Sam in the chest to motion _‘you’_.  
“Why not you do it?” Sam jabbed her in the arm in return, getting an annoyed glare.  
_“Because the Grand Love Master is going to make damn sure you get your guy,”_ Becca said through gritted teeth, almost snarling as she stood on her tiptoes to make herself almost level with Sam.  
He couldn’t help but think it looked almost comedic.  
_“Okay, okay.”_ Sam held his hands up in a pretense that he was surrendering, his eye roll paired with a smirk.  
Becca gave him a smug grin in reply, turning on her heels and strolling into the third section from the door.  
For the next 5 minutes or so, Sam stood at the desk. He found several doodles Becca had drawn of people in the library. He recognized Allie with her orange-toned shirt and denim shorts, flicking through a newspaper article. He looked up to find her still at the same table, her legs still folded over one another, only the position of the pages different. He saw one of Kelly, his partner in Science, studying a textbook, her blonde ponytail falling loosely over her shoulder. Her denim-clad legs were occupying Gordie’s lap as he examined a small pamphlet. They had gone and so had the book but the pamphlet remained, something to do with medical equipment. Sam could see there was a half started sketch of Grizz because the pen had been briskly dropped but he could tell even just by the hair.  
Another 5 minutes passed, Sam drumming his fingers on the table and then, a familiar face appeared.

~~~

That morning, Grizz had made a decision. He was going to casually suggest the idea of prom to Sam. Not that exciting, he knew that, but from there, he could ask Sam if he had a date and if he was even going at all. And maybe, if he didn’t chicken out, he could ask Sam if they could go together, as friends. Geography was boring, Mr. Knowles wittering on about Man-made features of the Earth and the Evolution of the Natural World. As usual, Mr. Knowles sat in his grey, plush chair to the left of the chalky blackboard he insisted on using. Notes written in scrawly capitals filled the board and people to Grizz’s left and right were dozing off, much to his expectations. Grizz occupied the time by copying some of the notes written on the board and then reading ‘Leaves of Grass’ under the table, one hand fixing the book in place on his lap, the other pinning his hair back against his face.  
Grizz sat three seats away from Sam in Maths so every so often, he would glance at his profile, watching the way his eyes conveyed all the emotions of exactly what he thought of this Maths lesson, Sine Graphs. Occasionally, his eyes would meet Sam’s and sparks would shoot down his spine and heat his cheeks so he quickly looked away again. Maths wasn’t Grizz’s strong suit but he seemed to be doing alright. He sat next to Gordie, who was second in the class, after Bean, but he was also incredibly kind. So, anything Grizz didn’t understand, Gordie could teach him. In return, Grizz would help Gordie with some of the English assignments, especially the ones including poetry; they had a good dynamic. Sometimes, they met in the library but Goride was working on a Science project with Kelly. Grizz still offered to drop off some poetry notes five minutes beforehand and Gordie thanked him before they returned to their work.  
Just before Lunch, Grizz had Art and he swore if he heard one more argument that lesson between Gwen and Clark, somehow involving Sam, he was going to throw the paint water straight at their faces. Instead, to avoid that happening, he plugged his earphones in and shuffled whatever was popular.  
Deciding to avoid the arguments, Grizz paced away from the classroom as soon as the bell rang, making his way to the library. Sitting at one of the tables nearest the door, he offloaded his bag onto the table and clasping a pen and some yellow sticky notes. He wrote about the contextual links of William Wordsworth and quoted several pieces of his poems before Gordie came and sat down next to him.  
_“Hey Grizz, thanks again. Words aren’t my thing but I mean, you’ve already seen that.”_ Gordie finished with a nervous chuckle, slipping the yellow paper Grizz had handed to him into his coat pocket.  
_“No bother, just as long as you help me with Cosine Rules.”_ Grizz smiled at him, standing up as Kelly took his place, _“See you both in Home Economics.”_  
They waved at him as he rounded the corner, and plucked a book from a shelf. It was heavy and he flicked through it for 10 minutes or so before he spotted another section. It was the ‘Skills’ section and a particular spine caught his eye. It read, ‘ASL for beginners’. It couldn’t hurt to learn something. The last he saw, Becca was on the desk.  
Becca was sweet and had recently become friends with Sam. She was in most of his classes and he thought getting to know her would be good. I mean, they had something to connect on, right?  
So, Grizz collected the book from its shelf and made his way to the desk, preparing questions to ask Becca that would make him seem friendly.

~~~

 _“Uh, hi.”_  
Grizz looked stunned, to say the least.  
_“You okay?”_ Sam spoke the words, straining his voice to make it clearer.  
Grizz shook himself slightly, blinking a couple of times to try and regain his composure.  
_“Um, yeah I just...I thought Becca was on the desk.”_  
Sam frowned slightly, the corners of his mouth turning upwards.  
_“I can get her for you if you like.”_  
_“No no no, you’re perfect.”_ Grizz had relaxed but almost shot up at what he said, _“I didn’t mean **you’re** perfect, I just meant you can um do it. Yeah.”_  
 _Sam_ watched with interest, mostly thinking about how cute Grizz was when he was flustered.  
_“Are you checking a book out?”_ Sam asked after Grizz had stopped rambling and blushing.  
_“Um yeah just…”_ Grizz stopped short, his eyes widening as he looked down at the book. Whatever it was, he was sure nervous as hell. He waited a little longer, scrunching his face up as more hair fell out of his top knot.  
_“Just...this.”_ Grizz sighed as he handed over the book, cringing ever so slightly.  
Sam watched as he carefully placed the ‘ASL for beginners’ on the desk.  
Sam just had to know.  
_“Why are you learning sign language? Are you planning on going deaf?”_ Sam grinned at him, easing Grizz’s worried expression.  
_“No, I’m not. I just...I wanted to be able to talk to you. Or, you know, sign to you.”_ Grizz explained. Sam felt the butterflies flutter in his stomach.  
_“I can read lips.”_ Sam smiled at him, signing along with what he said. Again, Sam had to know why. Because at that moment, Sam was so ready to kiss Grizz.  
_“I know. I wanted to be able to talk to you, you know, in your language.”_  
Sam stood back from where he was leaning on the desk, worried that he would eventually find a way to connect his lips to Grizz’s.  
_“Oh.”_ Sam processed the whole conversation, watching Grizz visibly gulp and wait for a reply, _“Hey, are you going to prom?”_  
Not what Sam was going to eventually lead to but it was handy all the same.  
_“Me? Um yeah, I guess. Don’t have a date, though. Just was going to go with the guys.”_ Grizz stuttered through his words, looking hesitant like he wanted to say more. _“What about you?”_  
_“Probably going with Becca so I’ll see you there.”_ Sam wanted to say so much more about how they could go together and Sam could teach Grizz sign language and they could dance together. But instead, Sam just scanned the book and passed it back.  
_“See you in English.”_ Grizz gave him a friendly smile.  
_“Bye.”_ Sam returned the friendly smile.  
_‘If only it was more than friendly.’_ he thought, slumping down on the desk as Becca came out of her hiding place to scold him on why he didn’t ask Grizz to the dance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long but I've been busy volunteering at this place and then also I'm watching YouTube until 1 in the morning and then waking up at midday so sorry but I did it and from here, it's going to get a lot more angsty and drama is going to happen left, right and center.


	7. Truths

The last week or so passed and before Grizz knew it, he was already choosing his Prom outfit with Luke, Clark, and Jason.  
_“Yo Clark, you still taking Gwen?”_  
 _“Yeah, man, but she’s barely speaking to me. She’s probably just going to talk to her friends all night anyway. You?”_  
 _“Yeah, I’m going with Erika. She’s given me specific colors that I can wear. Speaking of,”_ Jason looked behind his shoulder and caught Grizz’s attention, _“Grizz, you still wearing that fashion shitshow?”_  
Grizz was walking behind, discussing Luke’s chances of being Prom King. It was mid-afternoon, a frosty Wednesday and the cold mist bit at Grizz’s cheeks as he squeezed his hands together, rubbing them furiously. His hair was scooped into a hat and he lowered his head into his hoodie, looking up slightly when he heard his name.  
_“It’s a good outfit, dude. You just can’t appreciate it.”_  
 _“Whatever you say, man.”_ Jason retorted, heading into a small shop, closed in by sloping houses on either side.  
Grizz followed, reading _“Suits 4 All”_ on a sign just above the door. Luke continued their conversation once inside and Grizz half-listened, enjoying the warmth of the radiator in the corner.  
_“So as I was saying, I might not win. Everyone doesn’t want the cliche now. They might go for Gordie or Mickey or Sam, who knows?”_  
Grizz pretended he hadn’t started listening at Sam’s name and nodded his head as Luke rambled on, sifting through suits.  
Minutes passed, a silence enveloping the small area, the only sounds being the rustle of material. Everyone was engrossed in getting the right outfit, except Grizz who perched on a stool near the door, directing his hands towards the warm air of the radiator.  
_“So, Luke, Helena coping with all the Prom stuff?”_ Clark asked, somewhere inside a clothing rail of several colorful suits, his voice slightly muffled. He eventually scrambled out, plucking a suit from its hanger and walking over to the mirror.  
_“Yeah but I think the stress is getting to her. Last night, she responded to my text with ‘k’.”_  
 _“Damn.”_ Clark and Jason said in unison.  
_“What?”_ Grizz said, genuinely confused as to what was so bad about that.  
_“It’s a girl’s way of saying ‘I’m pissed’. Sometimes ‘at you’ but I haven’t done anything wrong so it’s probably just ‘I’m pissed and I’m taking it out on you’”_ Luke explained, holding a smart suit against his chest and flattening it slightly.  
Grizz frowned, hoping the topic would change as he flicked through a couple of wedding suits on a separate hanger near the window.  
_“Hey Grizz, you taking anyone to Prom?”_  
 _‘Shit, careful what you wish for, I guess’_ He thought, his cheeks burning slightly.  
_“Nah, man, I was just thinking of lone-wolfing it.”_  
 _“You sure? Because I know lots of girls who are dying to be your prom date. I mean, Erika has this one friend who said yo-”_  
 _“Dude, I’m telling you. There’s no one I’d want to go with.”_  
 _‘He lied’_ Grizz thought as Jason shrugged and went back to trying on a waistcoat, holding his phone up to see if any of the colors Erika had sent matched it.

~~~

Sam linked arms with Becca, leading her down the steps and past the lawn that was so meticulously kept.  
Sam had quickly gotten dressed in a white shirt with a sandy waistcoat and a multicolored tie, thirty minutes beforehand. He had quickly splashed some aftershave on and mussed up his hair before waving goodbye to his parents. His mother looked on the verge of crying as she snapped some pictures of him by the door and his father just stood by, his lips forming a thin line. A week before that, his mother had reasoned with his father to let him borrow the Limo and he agreed that they would pretend it was rented. Sam paced out the door, goosebumps rising on his chilled skin, and slid into the backseat of a long, shiny car, a small greeting given to the chauffeur. He gave the driver Becca’s address and leaned back as the car pulled away from the drive.  
Sam breathed in the tipsy aroma of champagne and located a small bottle in the pocket of the door. Shifting across the leather seating, he grabbed a glass and poured himself a small amount and downed it, saving most of it for him and Becca. For the rest of the journey, he opened the window and closed his eyes, letting his hand hang out.  
When they arrived at Becca’s, Sam hopped out, rolling up the darkened window on his way. He observed the small placement of flowers on a strip of the frosted lawn, barely visible with the wintery night. Surely, he made his way to the door, knocking twice and gripping the flowers he brought his _“date”_ in his left hand.  
Becca grinned when she saw Sam, nearly splitting her face when she saw the flowers.  
_“Why thank you,”_ Becca signed, comically batting her eyelashes. _“Come in.”_  
Becca wore a strappy, dark dress, her hair neatly piled back. Chunky, glittering necklaces finished off her simple look but it was by no means not glamorous.  
_“If I was a straight dude, I would definitely want to be your **date** date.”_ he signed to Becca, who only rolled her eyes and turned away from him to go back into the house.  
Sam stepped inside, noticing how comfortable the house felt. To the left of the door, there was a coat rack, the coats ranging in sizes and colors. Further up, a small table sat on the plush hall carpet, the brown of the wood contrasting from the pale cream. The lamp posed on the table, giving off a warm glow and reaches as far as the stairs to the next floor and the white door with large glass panes, leading to the kitchen.  
Becca quickly ran through to the kitchen, giving her goodbyes to her family, before hurrying back to Sam.  
_“My Mom says we can take her car.”_ Becca signed, her hands moving more fluidly than they did a couple of weeks back.  
_“Actually,”_ Sam signs back, opening the door and gesturing for her, _“I’ve got a surprise.”_  
Becca could’ve been screaming but by her smile afterward, Sam guessed she was squealing with joy. Lifting her dress, she nimbly ran down the steps and opened the door, ducking inside.  
_“How did you afford this? Even rented, it must’ve been expensive.”_ Becca mouthed once Sam had come close enough to lip-read.  
_“Doesn’t matter. Only the best for my date.”_ Sam grinned as Becca looked at the car, stunned, speechless and in awe.  
Carefully, Becca got in, peering around at the interior.  
_“Have I ever told you I love you?”_ Becca signed off-handedly, more focused on the car.  
_“Nope but that’s all right. I knew anyway.”_ Sam chuckled as Becca give him a soft punch on the arm.  
_“I love you.”_  
 _“I love you too.”_

~~~

Grizz had to hand it to Helena, Kelly, and Cassandra, they did a pretty fucking amazing job. The theme they had chosen was _‘Out of this World’_ and they had indulged in the glamour. Navy curtains hung from the ceiling, LEDs running down the folds to make the pretense of shooting stars. A neon-blue cabinet full of soft drinks stood to the side, already half empty and silvery stars twirled above the dance floor where some people were swaying along to the music. Bean was stood at some turntables and a laptop, playing some cheesy 80s hits. Round tables were dotted around the hall, cream tablecloths decorated with confetti and paper plates. Over in the far corner, away from the teachers, his friends, their dates and their dates’ friends all sat around a table, plastic folding chairs crammed in at all angles.  
Grizz stopped by the buffet table parallel to the dance floor and ladled some punch into a plastic cup before making his way to the round table. He took a swig and relished the alcohol someone had spiked it with. He guessed it may have been Harry but best not to speculate.  
_“Hey lone wolf, how’s it going?”_ Luke stood up to greet Grizz, bumping his shoulder. Grizz glanced at the plain but classic black tux he had picked, knowing it must’ve gotten Helena’s approval. On the other hand, Gwen was slumped on the table, her rose skirt crumpling, chatting to some of her friends. She made clear she had zero interest in what Clark wore therefore, he had chosen a silver suit which matched the decorations. Erika looked joyous and Grizz could see that Jason had made the right choice with his burgundy waistcoat and salmon shirt.  
As for Grizz, he had chosen a mint green shirt and a colorful bowtie, pairing it with grey joggers which were painted with planets. It was quite fitting. Erika dragged Jason from his seat to dance to some 90s love song so Grizz took his place, scanning the room. He noted Elle in his sleek, midnight blue dress and Kelly in jeans and a t-shirt. Harry in yet another tux, with his hair slicked back talking to Allie who was in a rosy pink getup.  
Then, Sam walked in.  
Obviously, he was accompanied by Becca but it almost felt like a movie where there’s a mysterious golden glow emanating from him. Grizz was just about to swoon over how his waistcoat matched his hair when he realized Sam was looking at him.  
And then there was the confidence that came from fucking nowhere.  
Grizz stood up and walked over to Sam.  
Becca had whispered something in Sam’s ear and then trotted away but Sam seemed distracted, his eyes focused on Grizz.  
_“I like your outfit.”_ Sam was the first to speak, his hands still forming the signs.  
Grizz actually knew some of them. When he took the book out of the library, he practiced them most nights. By now, he knew how to uphold a simple conversation entirely in sign language. Now was as good a time to show it off.  
_“The pants go with the theme.”_ Grizz signed clumsily, pauses now and then.  
Sam raised his eyebrows and Grizz couldn’t help but be a bit smug.  
_“I guess you really did try and learn.”_ Sam signed more visibly but also spoke just in case Grizz didn’t understand.  
_“Thought I may as well.”_ Grizz let out a small laugh and Sam gave him a soft smile and fuck it, he was so cute.  
Grizz realized he was staring and therefore turned his attention to the punch in his hand to cover his tracks.  
When he eventually looked back, Sam was pale as the table cloths. His breathing had become more heaving and he tugged at his collar.  
_“Sam?”_ Grizz tapped him on the shoulder, looking in the direction of where Sam’s wide eyes were staring.  
He could see large gatherings, gawking at phones. Every now and then, their attention was turned to Sam as chattering was passed around.  
Grizz’s phone chimed in his pocket. Sam was still stuck in a fearful trance so he pulled his phone out. Luke had sent him a link to a website with a message attached to it, reading _‘Ur gonna want to see this :/’_. And then, _‘Scroll down to No. 3’_  
He clicked on it, guessing it was what everyone else was studying. The article read _‘Top 10 Richest Families in America’_  
He understood everyone else’s reaction now. He was practically thrumming with anticipation, his fingers tapping on the phone case.  
He scrolled down, past slender women with shiny, blonde ringlets and men with greying hair and plastic smiles, their children with big eyes and button noses.  
 _'Number 3'_. _'The Eliots'_. And there he was. Sam. And Campbell. And what he presumed were their parents. The photo was a couple of years old and Sam was dressed in a smart, black suit with his hair gelled back instead of his usual more casual look but it was still him. Grizz looked back up at Sam. His focus was now pointed at Grizz and he just seemed...wistful. Grizz didn’t know what to say. Should they laugh it off and pretend it never happened? Continue talking and ignore the crowds of curious teenagers? Grizz saw the phone screen go black in his peripheral vision but he didn’t know what to do. Hours seemed to pass in what would’ve been ten seconds. And then it sped up to reality.  
_“I’ve got to go.”_ Sam croaked out, tears glazing his eyes. And with that, he ran out, leaving Grizz all alone on the edge of the dance floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's the angst sorry it took so long but I got it up today so yay  
> basically, it took so long because:  
> 1) I got my helix pierced (yesterday and I'm so glad I did it)  
> 2) I got braces (today actually and they ache so baddddd ugh)  
> 3) This felt difficult to write  
> But actually, it was the most fun because there was a lot to describe and I'm better at that  
> I'm hoping the next part is easier to write because we've got one actual chapter left and then I've decided to do a cute fluffy one as a bonus because I really want it and I hope you will too.


	8. Kisses

_‘Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. He should’ve known it would come to this. Of course, secrets could never be kept long. And as usual, Campbell was nowhere to be seen, probably sniffing cocaine in the toilets so the burden was on him. What was Becca going to say? She trusted him, considered him her best friend, and he hadn’t even told her something as simple as this. What about Grizz? He was friends with Harry but Sam could see the disdain whenever he was near him. He probably thought Sam was one of those rich kids who sneer down at people. Would Grizz ever want to be near him again?’_  
Sam groaned at put his head in his hands. He could sense it was going to be a long night.

~~~

Grizz didn’t know what to do. Sam had run out and now he was faced with unwanted attention cast upon him. He was the last one who talked to Sam and he could feel their silent curiosity reaching out, desperate to know more. Grizz coughed uncomfortably, unsure of what to do so he took another couple sips of his drink and faced away, feeling their eyes bore into the back of his head. After a few more minutes, he could feel their patience draining away and soon, everyone was back to mingling, their focus slipping from Grizz. Wordlessly, he took his chance and slipped out the door, walking past the teachers so incredibly unaware of the situation that had unfolded.  
On his way, he passed the bathroom, noticing Campbell leaning against the sink with a sinister smirk on his face and Harry bent over beside him, sniffing loudly. He rolled his eyes and walked past, curling his lip slightly in disgust.  
Grizz made in out the doors, pushing the hard oak against the brick wall. Sam wasn’t hard to spot. He was sitting on a bench, underneath a lampost, his head in his hands. Grizz breathed in and walked over with as much confidence as he could muster.  
Sam slowly looked up, clearly feeling Grizz’s presence on the bench, next to him.  
_“Hi,”_ Grizz said softly, raising his hand hesitantly.  
Sam gave him a small smile in acknowledgment before sitting up properly and preparing what he was about to say.  
_“I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you. It was supposed to be a secret. I thought that if people knew they would view me differently.”_ Sam laughed bitterly, his eyes never leaving Grizz’s.  
_“You had no reason to tell me. If you had, I would’ve thought you were just bragging.”_ Grizz replied, signing the words he knew and ending with a chuckle.  
Sam grinned back and watched his hands for a moment before speaking.  
_“You know, I would have taught you sign language. Instead of getting the book, you could have just asked me.”_ Sam put his hand on Grizz’s leg, looking at him with kindness and sincerity but quite truthfully, that was lost in the fact that his hand was on Grizz’s leg and Grizz could only gulp and pray that Sam couldn’t feel the nervousness radiating off of him. He licked his lips apprehensively as Sam inadvertently shifted closer, his hands still supplying warmth on Grizz’s leg. He was going to do it.  
_“Hey, um, there was one thing that I couldn’t find in the book.”_  
_“Oh yeah?”_ Sam shifted so that he was facing towards Grizz, his hand further up Grizz’s leg. Grizz had no idea why he was still touching Grizz but it didn’t matter because it was sending jolts of courage through Grizz’s system. And right now, he needed that. Chewing his lip, and flicking his eyes downward every so often, he continued.  
_“Um yeah. How do you say ‘Kiss Me’?”_  
Sam stared at Grizz for a moment, blinking slowly, and Grizz was about to move on, chuckle awkwardly and say they could still be friends when Sam leaned forward, touching their foreheads together briefly before sealing their lips.

_‘Fuck yeah I’m kissing him. Wait nononono come back I need more.’_

Sam kissed him softly, pulling back ever so slightly before cupping Grizz’s face. Slowly, he titled Grizz’s head back, pressing at the corners of his mouth and kissing him again.

 _‘Fuck, that’s really hot.’_ Grizz thought before his brain shortcircuited and he couldn’t be bothered to try and regain thought.

~~~

Sam kept on kissing Grizz. And by God, did it feel good. Luckily, there was no one else around and he had no clue where Becca was but by the time they pulled apart, it had been at least thirty minutes and Grizz’s lips were swollen and Sam couldn’t help it so he palmed Grizz’s face and pulled him towards himself, enjoying the feel of Grizz smiling against his lips. They stayed like that until Becca crept up in front of them and took a photo so the flash blinded them and they jumped apart. Sam could only roll his eyes at Becca signing ‘I told you so’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so this is not the longest but I'm not good at writing kissing bits. Also, I'm eating a Krispy Kreme donut (if you don't know what that is a. google it and b. eat one) so life is good.
> 
> The final part is the fluffy part a month or so after. Literally don't know what I'm going to do. Probably a date and we'll see the jocks being nice because that's what Grizz deserves and Becca being smug and maybe a bit of teasing about Sam's money but nice because this is the final chapter and I'm kinda sad to end this but then you can read the whole thing. 
> 
> As usual, please comment and kudos ;) many thanks


	9. Date

[ 1 Month Later]

Grizz, like any other Saturday, was at the second football practice of the week. Today, it was warm with a breeze blowing past the trees surrounding the pitch, although the ground was still muddy and it caked their boots. They had just scored a goal against the opposing team when the whistle blew, signaling it was the end of practice. Their team had won 3-2 and Grizz suffocated Jason and Luke in a bear hug while Clark squinted his eyes at them, having been on the other team.  
_“Dude, I can’t breathe.”_ Jason choked out after five seconds, coughing and grabbing at his throat for dramatic effect as Luke squirmed in his grasp.  
Grizz released them and Luke grinned when he saw Grizz quickly packing his equipment into the large duffel bag on his shoulder.  
_“And where may you be going so quickly?”_ Grizz looked up from fitting his shoulder pads into his bag to see Luke’s smug grin.  
Grizz stood up and rolled his eyes, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible.  
_“Toseesam,”_ he mumbled, pushing past Luke with a whack to the shoulder.  
_“What was that?”_ Luke still smirked, cupping his ear near to Grizz’s face when he had caught up with him.  
By this point, Jason and Clark had caught on and they were crowding around him, each sporting some kind of smugness.  
_“I said I’m going to see Sam, ok?”_  
The whole group surrounding him erupted into an off-key chorus of “Ooo”s and wolf whistles as he glared at each of them in turn.  
_“So where are you going this time?”_ Luke asked, feigning innocence as Jason and Clarke listened eagerly.  
_“Last time I told you where we were, you stood outside my house for ten minutes throwing rocks at my window.”_ Grizz found his way out of the circle and walked towards the gap in the trees where the path led out. _“So, if you excuse me, I need to get ready for my date.”_  
Grizz combed his fingers through his hair and wiped the sweat off his forehead, pretending not to hear the protesting behind him on the pitch.

~~~

 _“So, how many cars does your Dad have in total?”_  
Becca and Sam were lying side by side on Becca’s bed. Becca was lying on her stomach, propping herself up with her elbows to look at Sam and blow on her nail polish. Sam was lying on his back, staring up at the small plastic stars attached to the shade of lilac covering the ceiling. Sam really liked Becca’s bedroom. Sure, it wasn’t that big but her soft comforter spread on her bed and the fairy lights on the wall behind it, made it feel cozy. Even the dressing table had photos of her family and friends stuck around it, the newest being a silly photo they took together that morning. The lilac of Becca’s room contrasted with his white and oak room. When he was younger, he used to pretend it was some alien spaceship or FBI conference room to avoid the fact that it just felt enormous and cold and lonely.  
_“Six.”_ Sam internally rolled his eyes, if such a thing was possible, _“I really don’t understand it. We’re not going to use all of them. We need four, at most, but the average household only has two.”_  
_“Perks of being rich, I guess.”_ Becca signed at him and rolled over, squishing Sam’s arm in the process.  
They lay in the comfortable silence for a while until Becca held her hands up, admiring the sheen of her nail polish.  
_“You did such a good job of these.”_ Becca said, tilting her hands for Sam to see as if he hadn’t spent a good ten minutes looking at them, all the while signing, _“I can paint yours if you like.”_  
_“I would take you up on that offer but I have my date with Grizz very soon.”_  
Becca sat up and smiled at him and it reminded him of somewhat motherly pride.  
_“You better get going then. Where are you going by the way?”_  
_“The park. You know, to talk, hold hands, probably makeout.”_ Sam wiggled his eyebrows and lifted himself off the bed. He grabbed his coat from the desk chair, pulling it over his green hoodie and watched Becca sign.  
_“Alright well if the makeout turns into something more, I want you to be safe. Use protec-”_  
_“Becca, ew.”_ Sam cut her off verbally, not wanting to see her sign anything more about that.  
_“Be safe.”_ Becca signed with emphasis, before hugging Sam so that the scent of lavender and coffee surrounded him.  
_“I will, Mother Becca.”_  
_“Good.”_ Becca signed with a satisfied smile before ruffling his hair and leaving the room.

~~~

Grizz was hella nervous. He had spent the past thirty minutes deciding on an outfit, hairstyle and whether or not to bring flowers. The outfit had been the hardest part. Should he go casual? Maybe a bit more formal? Hoodie or no hoodie? Jeans or pants? Could he just throw on a baggy shirt and jogging pants? Would Sam like him in a varsity jacket? Back and forth it went in his head. _‘Screw it.’_ Grizz thought, _‘I’m just gonna pick out something casual but appropriate.’_  
In the end, he chose a yellow t-shirt with a red plaid shirt over the top and his black trainers. He decided to keep his hair down and eventually, made a short detour to his garden and picked a rose. It was slightly cringy and definitely cliche but now that he was finally out to his friends, he wanted to be as cheesy and romantic as he could possibly be.  
He made his way past the gates and sat on a bench looking on to the lake and in front of the bandstand and texted Sam on his whereabouts.  
Two minutes later, Sam came through the gates and greeted him with a smile that may have made Grizz’s heart skip a beat.  
_“I got you a rose.”_ Grizz signed after Sam sat down, having practiced it before Sam had arrived. He took the flower from his lap and handed it over to Sam who sniffed it and grinned at him.  
_“It’s so pretty, thank you.”_  
Sam held the rose and smiled down at it for a while and Grizz grinned because Sam couldn’t see so he didn’t care and he was so head over heels for Sam. Grizz tapped Sam’s arm to get his attention to he could read Grizz’s lips.  
_“I was um going to get you one for Prom, I grow them in my garden but I thought it would be a bit odd since we weren’t going together.”_  
Sam nodded like he understood completely where Grizz was coming from before speaking.  
_“I wanted to ask you to dance but I wasn’t sure if you were out to all your friends,”_ Sam replied, twirling the stem of the rose in his hand.  
_“I wasn’t actually,”_ Grizz dwelled on it, losing himself in thought before adding hurriedly, _“I am now though, don’t worry.”_  
_“Hey, do you want to dance?”_  
_“Hm?”_ Grizz could feel that his eyebrows shot up without him meaning to, a regular occurrence.  
_“There’s an empty bandstand right there and I feel like you owe me.”_  
_“Is that so?”_ Grizz grinned at him and took the hand that Sam offered him before climbing up the steps.

~~~  
The bandstand hadn’t been used in ages, it was fairly obvious. The once gleaming gold rails now resembled a bronze rusty color and the blue paint had flaked away, leaving a dull silver. Aside from the cobwebs which hung in the top corners and on the intricate details of the railings, it was still marginally pleasant where the weather hadn’t attacked it, with a light wood floor and gold spirals twirling around the turreted ceiling.

Sam was still holding Grizz’s hand, pretending it wasn’t sending tingles down his spine. His hands were quite cold but Grizz’s were large and warm and reminded him of bear paws. Not that he’d ever held hands with a bear. When they got to the center of the stage, Sam spun around and took both of Grizz’s hands, leading one of them to his waist and threading his fingers through the other. He gripped onto Grizz’s shoulder and found that when he looked up, the other boy was grinning at him.  
_“What?”_  
_“I don’t know, it’s just I never thought I’d be actually doing this. Being with a guy, I thought I’d have to die a lonely spinster.”_ Grizz chuckled, a tear sliding down his cheek.  
Sam wiped it away with his thumb, smiling up at him.  
_‘God, I’m so far gone over this boy.'_ Sam thought, absently massaging Grizz’s shoulder to comfort him.  
_“Ready?”_  
_“Ready.”_  
In all honesty, Sam had no clue what he was doing. He had never danced like this but it really didn’t matter because Grizz was so elegantly leading him around the stage, spinning him away from his body when it felt appropriate and pulling him back so close Sam could smell his cologne. He could only laugh as Grizz stepped in time with some kind of imaginary music, and apologizing profusely when he accidentally stepped on Grizz’s foot. He seemed almost professional, especially when he swung Sam around and dipped him as a closure to the dance.  
When Grizz pulled him back up, he was breathless and Sam leaned against his chest, laughing, still breathing in his cologne.  
They stayed like that for a while, Grizz’s head against his own, his dark hair tickling Sam’s face. Sam pushed against his chest to stand up properly and unfolded his hands from Grizz’s to sign, now warmer than Grizz’s were to start with.  
_“How the hell did you know how to dance like that?”_  
Grizz broke out into a grin, pondering, before answering Sam.  
_“I did tap when I was younge-”_  
_“Wait, like tap classes?”_  
_“Yeah, somewhere there’s a picture of me in that tap class with a feather boa.”_  
_“I need to see that picture.”_  
Sam imagined a mini Grizz with a bright red feather boa on and couldn’t help but laugh.  
Grizz laughed as well, Sam could feel the vibrations from Grizz’s chest to his palm, but he could also see Grizz smile and he thought it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.  
Sam surged forward and kissed Grizz, lips parting almost instantly and they kept a steady rhythm, Grizz’s smile never vanishing.

~~~

Grizz knew that smiling didn’t exactly make kissing easy but he couldn’t help it. This was all he ever wanted. A relationship with someone he loved. Hold on, was he saying he loved Sam? Yeah, he did. He was in love with Sam and Jesus christ, it felt great to say. That thought only made him smile harder.

~~~

Kissing Grizz never got tiring. Sam had been kissing Grizz for what felt like a while but that’s all he wanted to do for…well, ever. Obviously, they had to stop at some point but Sam hoped that point didn’t come soon. Grizz’s hands were around his waist and Sam’s hands were cupping Grizz’s face and Sam wanted him closer if it was possible. He loved kissing Grizz and he loved holding Grizz and most of all, he loved Grizz. And that thought didn’t scare him one bit.

~~~  
_The End._

~~~  
-Bonus Part-

 _“Told you they’d kiss.”_  
_“For the last time, I didn’t bet anything that they wouldn’t, so shut up Clarke.”_  
_“Luke, would you tell them to be quiet?”_  
_“Would you two stop squabbling? You’re giving me a headache.”_  
Becca, Luke, Jason, and Clarke were all hiding in a bush, observing the events at hand.  
Becca had texted them the location of the date but she was now regretting it. But at least it was better than getting yet another 100+ messages to get her to speak to them.  
Next time, she would tell Sam to tell Grizz to shut his mouth. Because the jocks certainly weren’t shutting theirs anytime soon.  
_“Guys, I think we should leave. This is getting stalkerish.”_  
_“It was stalkerish as soon as we sat in this bush.”_

~~~

Grizz broke apart from Sam, getting his breath back. Frowning, he looked over Sam’s shoulder and saw Becca, Luke, Jason, and Clarke attempting to hide in a bush.  
_“Are they h-”_  
_“Yeah.”_  
_“How long h-”_  
_“No clue.”_  
_“Huh.”_  
_“I didn’t think Becca would stoop to their level.”_  
_“So what do we do now?”_  
_“My parents aren’t at home.”_  
_“Sounds like a plan.”_  
And with that, they walked away, holding hands, leaving their four friends arguing about what to do next.

_The Actual End._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I think the reason it took me a while to write this is that I didn't want it to end because I like this story and I'm going to miss them.  
> Writing the dancing part, I had a moment when I was really proud of Grizz and then I realized I was writing it and I could control it and it was really odd. But I'm still proud of actual Grizz.  
> Also, the end bit is slightly odd but I wanted crack comedy and also I love the concept of the jocks and Becca shipping them really hard and teasing them slightly but overall being really good friends. I need this, alright? Anyway, finally, everyone can read a finished piece which I'm excited about. 
> 
> I love you all so much and a kudos would be appreciated. Also comments absolutely make my day, it's not even an exaggeration. Alright, I'm gonna go now but a massive thank you to you all for reading all the way through. Bubye :)

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this is the first chapter and it's pretty short but I've got such a hectic week so this is all I can do for now. But soon, I'll have lots of free time and I can write all of this. p.s This is my first work and I'm sorry if it's terrible but take it. Also, kudos are appreciated ;) 
> 
> p.p.s Who's excited for The Society s2? Dude, I'm ecstatic :p


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